Agartala, Oct 7 (IANS) The Assam Rifles have seized 340 kg of ganja (marijuana), valued at around Rs 1.74 crore, in Tripura’s Khowai district, officials said on Wednesday.
A defence spokesman said that as part of a crackdown on narcotics trafficking, the Assam Rifles, in coordination with Customs officials, conducted an operation on Tuesday evening in Khowai district, leading to the seizure of dry ganja.
The operation was conducted based on intelligence inputs and continuous surveillance, he said.
During the operation, the joint team intercepted a car and, upon searching it, recovered the dry ganja.
However, the driver of the vehicle managed to flee from the spot. No arrest was reported in connection with the seizure.
The recovery of the illicit drugs highlights the continued efforts by the Assam Rifles and other partner agencies to disrupt narcotics trafficking networks operating through the Northeast, an official statement said.
The recovered contraband and the seized vehicle have been handed over to the Customs authorities for further investigation and legal proceedings.
A police official said that the state police, Assam Rifles, Tripura State Rifles (TSR) and other security forces, in joint operations, often destroy illicit ganja cultivation in different parts of the state, especially in Sepahijala district, which shares a border with Bangladesh.
According to the official, dry ganja produced in Tripura is not consumed locally and is smuggled to various states, including Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, where it fetches higher prices. Consignments of dry ganja are often seized from trucks, small vehicles, and even passenger trains during their transportation.
Residents, including women, have claimed that they cultivate ganja in hilly and inaccessible areas as part of their livelihood. The police official said that on many occasions, it has been found that forest land and other government land had been encroached upon and illegally used for cannabis cultivation.
The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, makes it illegal for any person to cultivate, possess, sell, buy or consume narcotic and psychotropic substances, and violations can attract heavy fines and imprisonment of up to 20 years.
–IANS
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